Was there ever a classier lady on television than Arlene Francis? Most people today would have no idea about the magnitude of her stardom back in the day - She was truly a giant.
arlene francis was such a beautiful woman and so talented. there will never be anyone who could chalk up so many accomplishments. never heard a bad word about her, either.
@@annamarialeanyvari2091 - Yes... her manner of speaking was referred to as the 'Mid-Atlantic' accent. Not quite Bostonian, and not quite English. But somewhere in between. A very elegant fusion.
Yes, unlike the nasty Baba Wawa, Arlene Francis was a gracious and respected interviewer, Too bad the mind was slipping as she could not remember fellow panelist Fred Allen's name.
What a treasure to find this rare interview. Arlene Francis herself was a treasure. In the 1950's she was the second most famous woman in America, after Eleanor Roosevelt. By the time she died of Alzheimer's in 2001 she was forgotten. Newspapers all over the country published a photo of another woman with her obituary by mistake and nobody noticed. This interview was done within 6 months of her husband Martin Gabel's death in 1986. You can still see the sadness in her eyes. I was surprised how mentally sharp is here because it is said on Wikipedia that she began exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's Disease in the mid-80's, right around this time. There is only a faint sign of it here, perhaps, when she can't remember Fred Allen's last name. ("How 'bout that?" she says, when she struggles and fails to remember a name she knew as well as anything.) It's also sad to hear her talk about the precious heart-shaped diamond pendant her husband gave her on their first anniversary, knowing as we do now that it would be snatched off her neck by a thief as she was exiting a cab two years after this interview, in 1988. She was a smart, kind, witty person. Watching her on very old What's My Line reruns on RU-vid is a joy.
I didn’t know about the theft of the ❤️ necklace. I’m new to watching WML here. I watched it as a child, if my parents let me stay up late on hot summer nights in CA. Arlene was quite lovely, gracious. Interesting she was born in Turkey, my son is half Turk. Blessings to All. 🙏🏼❤️
It's kind of fascinating how fleeting fame can really be. At the height of her show's popularity she was a household name and would probably have been treated like royalty wherever she went. But then you fast-forward one or two generations, and if you randomly asked 100 people on the street "Who was Arlene Francis?", you'd probably be lucky to get two correct replies.
I don’t know why but that hit me right now. I have seen Peter since he was a teenager and mystery guest on „What‘s my line“. Has everything that reminded of Arlene now left this world? Or are there grandchildren? It is so saddening how time eradicates even the most lovable and wonderful people. You can be the biggest star and two generations later almost mo one knows who you were.
@@Celisar1 According to Wikipedia Peter Gabel has a son, Samuel, whose partner is Lisa Jaicks so maybe they could also have a child, if they haven't already, and keep the line going, genetically speaking. You're right that even the biggest stars become forgotten. Not just Arlene Francis today, but ask anyone under 50 who Arthur Godfrey was!
I am glad to have come across this interview with Arlene Francis. My memories of her go back to my mother watching her on daytime television in the 1950s--I did not know her from WML yet--I was too young at the time to stay up late on Sundays. I had also known she had worked in the New York theater, but I had not known the extent of her Broadway career until I checked the Internet Broadway database--an amazingly long list of credits that spanned the late 1920s to the mid 1970s. What a wondeful career Miss Francis had!
Her husband had only died the previous year,Arlene still had over a decade to go...sadly,the heart necklace you see here and frequently on WML would be taken by a mugger as Arlene exited a taxi the year after this interview 🎩
This was a wonderful interview, Arlene Francis was a true class act, very smart, hard working and a lot of fun too. You can pick up from What's My Line, she liked a good time. Love it when Martin was on the panel with her, they did have a great bond. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Ms. Arlene Francis was a treasure to many including myself. She was a class act and would also be one today. She had such a delightful smile that was genuine. She was beautiful in so many ways. I could go on talking about Ms. Francis forever. God Bless You lovely lady and may you forever Rest In Peace. You are gone but in my heart you will never be forgotten. ❤❤❤
A wonderful lady plus a fascinating interview. After Arlene's passing, I contacted Peter Gabel about the Center he and his friends were constructing in honor of his Mother. Peter was a man of many accomplishments. Sadly, he passed away in October. One of Peter's dearest friends Jonathan Cerf spoke at Peter's funeral. He was the son of Bennett Cerf who also appeared on What's My Line. Peter and Jonathan had been friends since they were six years old. Martin and Arlene were wonderful parents.
Loved Arlene Francis. Arlene was rarely stumped on Whats my line (Celebrity part). Always guessed Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Carol Channing. I sure miss her. Broke my heart when mugger took her diamond heart shaped necklace given to her by her beloved husband ❤️
Arlene Francis was born too early. We could see her now had she been born at least 30 years later than she was actually born. I have been a huge fan of hers since I saw a clip of “What’s My Line” on RU-vid about a decade ago. She was more fabulous than Dorothy Kilgallen. A number of videos featuring Arlene are great comforts to me. Thanks a lot for uploading this video, which I will treasure very much.
I’ve been binge watching What’s My Line and found her to be compelling viewing. A very clever and funny lady and such a beautiful personality. A very sad end to a fascinating life. I’m so glad that these videos exist so that her legacy for entertaining lives on. R..I.P. Arlene.
I also watch old editions of What's My Line? and especially admire Arlene Francis. Everyone is well-dressed, extraordinary polite and able to express themselves with any foul language, ever. What a contrast with the vapid, ignorant actresses that infest Hollywood these days!
Arlene looks to be in her late 70s here. I just adore her!!! She is my favorite person on What’s My Line! …to think I never knew about her until about 6 years ago! :(
Arlene Francis was such a remarkable lady. I could listen to her wonderful speaking voice for hours. What a shame a mugger stole her trademark diamond pendant as she was exiting a cab in NYC in 1988.
I hope that mugger is extremely hot...sweating profusely...and all the water fountains are out of order... If you get my drift. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥😰😰😰😰🔥🔥🔥
The interviewer is so false and sycophantic. Whereas Arlene is so natural, open and genuine. Such a lovely, extraordinarily talented woman. RIP Arlene.
In 1988 as Miss Francis was getting out of a taxi a mugger raced up to her & snatched her precious heart of diamonds necklace away & it was never found. The gift from her hus band who died in 1986.
I was so surprised when Arlene said that the studio audience did not know the contestant’s occupation. I had to listen to it three times. Of course the audience knew the occupations, that was half the fun.
I thought that too and rewatched it, but she may have meant there were those in the audience who put their hand up in the view of where they showed the occupation so that they could guess along with the panel. At least it’s a possibility that some in the audience liked to be in the dark along with the panel. But it’s only a guess. Or she really did not remember.😊
What’s my line is my absolute favorite quiz show. I love Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, Fred Allen. Not so much Bennet Cerf and John Daly although Daly was indeed the perfect moderator. These people were amazing, intelligent, funny and classy to an unmatched degree. Without their enormous talent the in itself very simple show would have never made it. Imagine that I learned about these people only a few years ago when they all have been dead for a long time. Dorothy Kilgallen was murdered even 59 years ago, before I was born, and I still admire and appreciate her. Life is strange and terribly short.
omg... Love Arlene Francis - heart aches for her broken heart that seems to have never mended after the death of her dear husband... TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING SOMEONE'S STORY TO ENSURE ONE MAINTAINS RESPECT FOR WHAT THEY HAVE ENDURED... Francis was born on October 20, 1907, in Boston, Massachusetts,[2] the daughter of Leah (née Davis) and Aram Kazanjian.[3] Her Armenian father was studying art in Paris at the age of 16 when he learned that both his parents had died in one of the massacres perpetrated by the Ottoman government in Turkey between 1894 and 1896, known as the Hamidian Massacres.[4] He emigrated to the United States and became a portrait photographer,[2] opening his own studio in Boston in the early 20th century. Later in life, Kazanjian painted canvases of dogwoods, "rabbits in flight", and other nature scenes, selling them at auction in New York.[5] When Francis was seven years old, her father decided that opportunities were greater in New York and moved the family to a flat in Washington Heights, Manhattan.[6] She remained a New York resident until she entered a San Francisco nursing home in 1993.[1] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Francis
Well her husband had only been gone about a year at the time of this taping...of course she wss still grieving ..but you are right..pretty sure she never got over it since they were married for 40 yrs
I'll never understand how some people need other people to 'worship'.Celebs and entertainers are JUST PEOPLE! Many are more screwed up than the average person but their panties get stinky JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S DOES!
I'm of a fan of her work on What's My Line. Wow. Great American personality.. I never knew anything until RU-vid recently. Never to late to discover talented people. She's no longer with us, but, she lives forever via the archives.
I think they all were wonderful. Kilgallen was so competitive & loved the camera on her. She was sharp & her early death was an absolute tragedy for her, her family & journalism. She was a cut above the rest. She stood out & did not back down when she felt she was right. Bennett Cerf was just so learned & polite & charming. I read his book At Random, I loved it so much I read it twice. Steve Allen was wonderful & wonderfully funny. Arlene was just always gracious & flattering & witty. I loved her risque digs at John Daly.
Arlene became my hero from the Home show. Later, she was still a hero listening to WML on armed forces radio. What a charming lady of the media, who was losing it, a little, on her last 1975 series on the Match Game. She was told by other panelists that she didn't understand the matches.
The saddest event would come to her a year later when a robber ripped her heart pendant off of her neck when she was coming out of a NYC cab. Who would do such a thing to an 81 year old woman? I always wonder who has that pendant now.
Francis was such a classy lady and so beautiful, she has a small part in the 1932 universal horror film Murders in the rue morgue starring Bela lugosi, she plays one of his victims. Just a though, Francis would have made a solid miss moneypenny behind lois Maxwell.
(born ; October 20, 1907 - May 31, 2001). Francis died at the age of 93 on May 31, 2001, in San Francisco, California, from Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
Arline and Kitty Carlisle were two nice lady's and Im not old at all and when i met them years ago and had pictures with thern and both of them talked to me for like a half hour. It was a great talk i had with both.
You could see the start of her all simers Disease by forgetting longtime friend Fred Allen's last name and also the infamous diamond pendant was stolen from her by a Mugger when she was getting out of a cab in 1988 and it devastated her the rest of her life
Arlene was talented - but remember we’re talking about mostly being on a game show panel - her acting career was inconsequential. She wasn’t doing Shakespeare.
About a year after this interview, a thief snatched the heart pendant while she walked down a Manhattan street. She had worn it for more than 40 years, having been a first anniversary gift from her husband. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Francis?wprov=sfti1
Now that Arlene can GO to China she'll stubbornly NOT go. -but don't blame Arlene down for turning down TODAY SHOW. It's also what makes Howard Stern so remarkable to me - decades of huge success at that way-early-a.m. time slot. Arlene, Howard and Barbara - three people ahead of their time. Great interview @ Arlene Herson. Just so relaxed perfect moment in time.
I saw the episode with Ronald Reagan Arlene Francis referenced and Mr. Reagan looked handsome, and was charming, and the audience was quite appreciative. Reagan, like other mystery guests, disguised his voice. Francis attempts to minimize him. She fails, but exposes her bias and dislike, yet is enamored of JFK because he was “young.” Silly woman.
Sad that she couldn't remember Fred Allen's name. Even sadder to see the heart necklace knowing she would soon be mugged and have it taken from her. A classier and more talented and charming lady never existed.
My take on that was the interviewer did not do much ( if any) research in advance and did not know. However, I am very happy it was posted, because I’ve seen very little if any) footage of Ms. Francis being interviewed l! Based on how the interview started, I am grateful she allowed Ms. Francis to talk!
I am a huge fan of Arlene Francis. She hardly seems herself in this interview. She even looks different like she’s had some dental work or dentures. It might be due to the grief of losing her husband or the beginning of her dementia, but sadly she wasn’t the same here.
Well almost no one spoke in the mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic accent by the 1980s. You could still catch glimpses of it though in those days: Gene Rayburn (host of The Match Game) often pronounced 'white' as 'hwhite' and Bob Barker (host of The Price is Right) would say 'hwhat' instead of 'what' up until he retired in 2007. But Arlene can be listed as one of the best users of the mid-Atlantic accent of the 1950s and 1960s.
